On the 13th March we took our Street Crew to the North West Competition ‘Street Dance Challenge’ in Liverpool. As our second comp of the season it was a magnificent triumph with Sylk bringing home 8 trophies. This was our first time competing in duo’s and we had two teams get a place in the top 5!! Emily Davenport & Kalum Heathcote came 4th in age 10 & under and Isabella Harrison & Olivia Wild came 2nd in age 12 & under. We also bagged two solo trophies with Lydia Parker getting 4th and Emily Davenport 3rd. However, my proudest achievement as a teacher was to watch every single one of our dancers make it through at least one heat and most through two! This is a real sign that hard work is paying off for the team and they are getting the rewards they deserve. Our final victory came with a 3rd place in a very tough line up of teams. We had very strong competition so I was ecstatic when Hazard placed!
Showing off our trophies at the end of a long day!!
The children also persuaded me to take part in an adult competition where I won a trophy of my own! This was great to see things from the children’s point of view and to understand how they feel with a room full of eyes on them as they dance! It’s not as easy as they make it look and I have even more respect for them now for putting themselves out there at every comp and win or lose having an upbeat and positive attitude. I strongly believe that competitions are certainly not all about winning trophies (although it is nice). I encourage the dancers to enjoy their day watching the other talented teams, to learn from other dancers and be inspired by their technique and choreography, to bond as a group, to build their confidence and take part in any battles, cyphers and interaction with the judges. That’s what it’s all about. If we don’t win or get where we want to be we ask ourselves why and how we can get there next time, we support the other teams and we still come home smiling.
Every competition is different and this one was a triumph for us on so many levels. It was also great to have support from the parents of the dancers’ participating; cheering us on, encouraging the kids and seeing them so proud of their children. I also watched throughout the day like a proud mum myself as the children are like a second family to me. Seeing them do so well gives me some clarification that I am teaching them well which is always good to know! It makes me excited about the future and what we can achieve and excited about Sylk Dance Academy. Look out for our two new teams that will be entering competitions soon. Jordon’s Intermediate totz and Sophie’s new age 13+ Crew. Watch this space!!!